The UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination is a screening test: two objective papers on the same day, one of which decides whether you move on and one of which you only have to pass. Its rules are short, but small details, such as how the penalty works on a 2.5-mark question, change how you should practise.
This guide explains the structure using the official Civil Services Examination 2026 notice (No. 05/2026-CSE, dated 4 February 2026) and the 2026 question booklets, then works through the scoring arithmetic and what happened in the 2026 cycle. It does not predict cut-offs.
Checked against UPSC documents on 9 October 2026.
The two papers
| General Studies Paper I | General Studies Paper II (often called CSAT) | |
|---|---|---|
| Marks | 200 | 200 |
| Duration | 2 hours | 2 hours |
| Questions in the 2026 booklet | 100 (2 marks each) | 80 (2.5 marks each) |
| Role | Ranking for selection to the Main Examination | Qualifying: you need at least 33% (66 marks) |
| Penalty for a wrong answer | One-third of the question's marks (about 0.67) | One-third of the question's marks (about 0.83) |
Both papers are objective, with four options per question, and are set in Hindi and English. The notice's rules on the penalty are precise:
- One-third (0.33) of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for a wrong answer.
- Marking more than one answer counts as a wrong answer, even if one of them is correct.
- A blank question carries no penalty.
You must sit both papers; the notice says a candidate who does not appear in both will be disqualified. Question counts are not fixed in the notice itself, so check the booklet instructions in the year you appear.
What each paper covers
The notice's syllabus for Paper I lists current events of national and international importance; history of India and the Indian National Movement; Indian and world geography; Indian polity and governance; economic and social development; general issues on environmental ecology, biodiversity and climate change; and general science.
Paper II covers comprehension; interpersonal skills including communication; logical reasoning and analytical ability; decision making and problem solving; general mental ability; and basic numeracy and data interpretation at Class X level.
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UPSC draws the list of candidates for the Main Examination using two conditions:
- at least 33% in Paper II; and
- the total qualifying marks in Paper I that the Commission determines for that year.
The number admitted to the Main Examination is about twelve to thirteen times the approximate number of vacancies. Prelims marks are not counted in the final merit list; they only decide whether you reach the Main Examination.
Note also that appearing in any one prelims paper counts as an attempt, so a half-day appearance uses up an attempt.
Scoring arithmetic: three worked examples
These are illustrative calculations, not real results or cut-offs.
1. A Paper I score
You attempt 80 of 100 questions: 55 right and 25 wrong.
- Correct: 55 × 2 = 110
- Penalty: 25 × (2 ÷ 3) = 16.67
- Net: 110 − 16.67 = 93.33
Had you attempted 70 and got 52 right and 18 wrong, the net would be 104 − 12 = 92. Ten extra attempts added only 1.33 marks, because most of them were wrong. Your mock data should tell you which kind of extra attempt is worth making.
2. The Paper II pass line
The 33% line is 0.33 × 200 = 66 marks. Each right answer earns 2.5 and each wrong one costs about 0.83.
- 32 right and 10 wrong: 80 − 8.33 = 71.67, which clears 66.
- 30 right and 12 wrong: 75 − 10 = 65, which falls short by one mark.
Two fewer correct answers and two more wrong ones moved this candidate from passing to failing. Paper II is "only qualifying", but candidates do fail it, so practise it under time.
3. Is guessing worth it?
With four options and a one-third penalty, a pure guess has an expected value of zero:
- Paper I: (0.25 × 2) − (0.75 × 0.67) = 0.5 − 0.5 = 0
If you can eliminate one option, the odds improve to 1 in 3:
- Paper I: (1/3 × 2) − (2/3 × 0.67) = 0.67 − 0.44 = +0.22 per question
So informed elimination helps on average, and blind guessing does not. This is arithmetic, not a guarantee: a run of unlucky guesses can still lower your score.
What happened in the 2026 cycle
| Step | Date or figure |
|---|---|
| Notice published | 4 February 2026 |
| Vacancies | About 933 in the notice; the result press note referred to 1,016 vacancies notified |
| Preliminary Examination | 24 May 2026 |
| Result | 15 June 2026: 13,343 candidates shortlisted for the Main Examination |
| Main Examination | 21–23 August and 29–30 August 2026 |
13,343 ÷ 1,016 ≈ 13.1, in line with the notice's ratio of twelve to thirteen times the vacancies. UPSC says the prelims marks, cut-off marks and answer keys are published only after the entire 2026 examination process is complete, so any "official 2026 cut-off" quoted before then is not from UPSC. Sources: the CSE 2026 notice and the prelims result press note.
The next cycle
UPSC's tentative calendar for 2027 lists the CSE 2027 notification on 13 January 2027, the last date for applications on 2 February 2027 and the preliminary examination on 23 May 2027. These dates can change; the notice is the authority.
A practice checklist built on the scheme
Paper I: full timed test, net score after penalties
Paper I: number of attempts by confidence level (sure / one option eliminated / guess)
Paper II: full timed test, net score and margin above 66
Paper II: weakest area (comprehension, reasoning or numeracy)
One rule I will change in my next test (for example, skip pure guesses)
Date I last checked upsc.gov.in for notices
Tracking attempts by confidence level is the practical way to apply example 3: over several tests you will see whether your "one option eliminated" answers are actually right often enough to be worth it.
For the full examination and planning, see our UPSC CSE guide, and if you are deciding on an optional subject before the next application, see the UPSC optional selection guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do prelims marks count in the final UPSC rank?
No. The notice describes the preliminary examination as a screening test whose marks are not counted for the final order of merit.
Is Paper II (CSAT) negatively marked?
Yes. The one-third penalty applies to both papers.
Can I skip Paper II if I am confident in Paper I?
No. You must appear in both papers, and you must score at least 33% in Paper II to be considered.